Sorry! I've been so busy, any "free" time I have has been going towards painting, drawing, and reading, leaving the internet to be woefully forgotten in forth place. I've created many things I want to share, just haven't sat down to post for awhile! One of the projects done in the last week or so was this cute little mini journal created from a classification folder picked up at a store going out of business. At first, I was just going to create a fun cover and sew in some pages, but after finishing, I realized I'd created a picture of myself...a piece of myself. We all have different "personalities," pieces of ourselves that make up the complete ME. Or you, respectively. Think of them as hats: mother, sister, secretary, barista, reader, dancer, England-enthusiast, etc. By drawing these "girls," I found myself putting on hats I thought I'd taken off years ago, and found that there were pieces of me shouting to get out, at least for awhile. Here are a few guidelines for creating your own mini-journal of personalities:

1. Don't think. When doing the backgrounds or drawing the girls, let the brush do the dancing, not your conscious mind. If it wants big hair, let it do it. Drawing with ink means you can't "erase" mistakes, so let it flow. 2. Finish your drawing before asking questions of it. The meaning will be revealed in due time. 3. Create in a journal so you feel safe. It's just a journal page, right? So no one will see it. No one will judge it. No one will be buying it, etc.

Mine were created with a small round brush and sumi-e ink.

Page 1: Be Free

I really have no clue where she came from, at first. But then I realized her skirt was modeled after one I'd been dreaming of sewing for the last two weeks, and her hair was long, long, just how I'd like mine to be one day (it's only just passed my ears). Her wings come from the desire to fly free of all the drama of home, or to simply move somewhere new. Be free is my favorite expression, so it makes sense that it's there!

Page 2: Sunrise Kimono

Starting my sophomore year of high school, I've been in love with Japan -- the culture, language, landscape, history, and, yes, comics. In the years since graduating college, I've let my Japanese skills go, haven't really read any comics, and rarely listen to my Japanese music. This second portrait really tells me that the part of me once called a "Japan-ophile" is still alive and well and wants to come out more. I chose sakura, or cherry blossoms, for the kimono since I have some tatooed on my neck. And kimono usually correspond to seasons, so I chose sunrise to go with spring.

Page 3: Time to Dance

This one came as a COMPLETE surprise! As a little girl, I danced. A lot. Ballet, tap, modern. All until third grade or so. And after I moved, I danced all through high school. Lately, I've had the urge to take up tap again, and this girl showing up really meant something -- that those urges MEAN something, and that my body, so riddled with pain and arthritis from Fibromyalgia, is ready to get dancing again.

I could cry with joy.

One of the reasons I've been so busy lately is that I'm working more, something that, even six months ago, wouldn't have been possible. I haven't worked 8 hour days since, well, those first years out of high school, right when I'd recovered from my accident (that spured the FMS in the first place) and before I was slammed with the full force of the disease. I pushed myself harder and harder for years, trying to be "normal," only to make myself sicker.

This year, as I wrote in my new year's resolutions, is comitted to being healthy. Not pushing, not standing still. Health through non-action. Going with the flow. And every day, I feel better and better!

A note on videos:

I would LOVE to make you all more vids! Unfortunately, when my hard drive died, I lost most of my programs, including iMovie, which I used to record and edit videos. I do not have a back up copy. If anyone out there has a copy they could send to me, I would be eternally grateful. And would make all the videos I have in my head and am ready to post! I've discovered so many new things, branched out in new directions, and want to share them with you! I love nothing more than teaching and want to do it SO BADLY!

Share YOUR self-portrait mini-journals with me! Post in the comments and I'll come visit!

love, kira